


A Bit of a Situation

by IFeelLikeGlitter



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Gun Violence, Marijuana, Nurse Beth, POV Beth Boland, POV Rio (Good Girls), Soft Rio (Good Girls), maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-01-16 01:54:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21263177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IFeelLikeGlitter/pseuds/IFeelLikeGlitter
Summary: “Wh-what are you doing here?”Her speech is slurred, just slightly, but it’s enough to grab his attention. She’s drunk- the rosiness of her cheeks and the droopiness of her eyes proving that to him.He sighs and grabs her glass of bourbon off of the counter, wincing at the movement, but finishing it in one swig. Maybe this was a bad idea.She takes a few cautious steps towards him as he responds with a lazy gesture to the blood covering his upper arm, “I got a bit of a situation.”





	1. Chapter 1

Rio’s hands are shaking.

The last time he remembers his hands ever shaking was when he was 12 years old. He had been clutching a firework tightly, not paying attention when his drunken uncle lit it. It shot off, right out of his palm, two inches from his nose, and he had almost pissed himself; he was so scared.

After that, his hands became reliable. 

He counts on them to be steady when his nerves are too much to bear, when he has a gun pointed maliciously at someone’s head, when he has to wrap them around an unlucky subordinate’s throat. 

But yet, here they are shaking.

His foot presses furiously on the gas pedal. The street signs whiz by as he bites down hard on his bottom lip.

Two more blocks.

He’s going to her house. Not that it matters, he just knows she’ll help patch him up. Her motherly instincts are too strong for her own good. 

That’s what he tells himself.

He chants it in his head, over and over.

_It doesn’t mean anything._

_It doesn’t mean anything._

His eyes flick down to the steering wheel, where his fists tremble against the black leather. Angry patches of blood and open skin decorate his knuckles, and he is suddenly reminded of the searing pain in his shoulder. The adrenaline coursing through his veins moments before is slipping away and pure rage takes its place. 

He parks his car a few meters from her mailbox. Clutching his injury, he pushes open the door and steps outside. It’s almost one in the morning, so he does a double take when he notices that the kitchen light is on. 

—-

Beth is on edge. She’s not sure why, but something is keeping her from the sleep she so desperately needs. She sits up in her bed and rubs at her face.

Well, that’s a lie.

She knows why she can’t sleep. She just wishes it weren’t true. Rio has been all she can think about lately, especially at night. 

The soft patter of little feet pulls her from her trance. Jane’s face appears in her doorway, and Beth sighs heavily. Her thumb is stuck in her mouth, her small fingers wrapped around her favorite stuffed animal, and her cheeks tear soaked.

“Hey, monkey. what’re you doing up?”

She steps further into the room, pushing her brown hair out of her face and mumbling.

“I had a scary dream.”

Beth opens her arms, inviting her daughter in, and kisses her head.

“You want me to come sit with you for a bit?”

She nods quickly. Beth ties her robe tighter around her waist and follows her youngest into her bedroom. Jane climbs back under the covers and closes her eyes almost immediately, to Beth’s delight. She could really use a drink.

After stroking Jane’s hair for ten minutes, she leaves quietly and tiptoes past the boy’s room. Her liquor cabinet is already cracked open, seemingly inviting her in. She pours herself a large glass full of bourbon, takes a long drink of it, and leans back against the island. 

She hasn’t seen him since the night after they were locked in a bar bathroom together. He disappeared after she and Dean agreed to give him 60% of their profits. He has been sending his men to pick up and drop off his money for the past two weeks. She knows she shouldn’t wonder where he is, or care for that matter. But she can’t help it. She thought that if she could just get him out of her system she could return to a normal work environment. 

Whatever that means. 

But, if anything, letting him fuck her in that crowded bar made everything worse. It only fueled her attraction, her desire to feel his hands on her body. She wants more. Her thoughts cloud with the memory of his breath in her ear, his hot, desperate breath, as he pushed her against the ugly bathroom wall.

She downs the rest of her bourbon, ignoring the burning in her throat and topping off her glass again. 

She’s been drinking frequently lately. Responsibly -she never drinks more than one glass around her kids- but still. 

It seems that more Rio equals more liquor. 

As the effects of the alcohol begin to set in, she notices the flash of headlights outside. None of her neighbors would be coming home this late, she thinks to herself. Beth knows it’s him before she sees the car. Sighing and doing her best to calm her nerves, she walks clumsily towards the front door. 

Why would he knock? It’s 1 am.

And he’s _Rio_.

She peers out the window anyway, searching for any sign of him. Maybe it’s not him.

Maybe she’s losing it. 

Streetlights cast eerie shadows across the pavement and she feels an uneasiness coil in her chest. 

That’s his car. Parked twenty feet from her driveway. 

She stares at it a little too hard, waiting impatiently for his slender body to emerge from the vehicle. 

“You expectin’ someone?”

——

Elizabeth’s head whips around at an alarming speed, rousing a smirk from Rio. He leans up against the island with his hand pressing into his shoulder. It’s getting worse, he can tell by the black spots dotting his vision, but all he is capable of focusing on is her reaction.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Her speech is slurred, just slightly, but it’s enough to grab his attention. She’s drunk- the rosiness of her cheeks and the droopiness of her eyes proving that to him.

He sighs and grabs her glass of bourbon off of the counter, wincing at the movement, but finishing it in one swig. Maybe this was a bad idea.

She takes a few cautious steps towards him as he responds with a lazy gesture to the blood covering his upper arm, “I got a bit of a situation.”

Her breath catches audibly seconds before she is hurrying over to his side.

“Oh my God! You’re bleeding!”

He chuckles humorlessly, unable to ignore the captivating sweet smell of her, now that she’s so close.

He hates it.

He hates how his body reacts to her presence. He hates that she has this kind of control over him without even knowing it. It makes him want to punch something- the wall, himself, maybe- and it also makes him want to kiss her.

**God**, it makes him want to kiss her so badly. 

She hadn't let him last time- _in the bathroom_\- and lately he's been **craving** it.

The irony is not lost on him. The fact that, even though he faced certain death just minutes ago, she's equally as dangerous. 

Yet, here he is.

He clenches his jaw as she runs a timid hand up his sleeve with furrowed eyebrows.

“Yeah, ma. I know. I’m also seein’ stars, so maybe you can help me out?”

She nods quickly, spinning around in search of her first aid kit. He slumps down on one of the stools in her kitchen with a grimace. It’s been months since he’s been shot, and he’s more than a little angry about breaking his streak.

His eyes roam around the dimly lit kitchen and he pauses when he spots the bourbon on the corner of the island to his right. With a labored breath, he pours himself another, desperately trying to ease the pain caused by the bullet lodged beneath his skin. Rio stares down into this glass at the brown liquid as he goes over tonight’s events in his head for the millionth time.

The sound of Elizabeth’s shuffling feet draws him from his thoughts and he glances up to meet her eyes, giving her a forced smile. Her gaze falls on to his fingers, which are clutching the glass full of alcohol tightly.

“I could have gotten that for you.”

She comments quietly, setting the first aid kit down alongside some old towels. He watches her as she unpacks the supplies and turns to face him. Her blue eyes widen considerably - probably because she didn’t expect him to be _so close_ to her when she turned around- and he can’t help the smirk that pulls at his lips. She glances down, licking her own subconsciously, and Rio briefly thinks that feeling her warmth radiating off of her skin and her breath fanning his face is more tortuous than the gunshot wound.

“I hate to rush you, but I’m kinda bleedin’ out over here.”

His voice is intentionally low and husky, knowing exactly the effect he has on her and delighting in it. She blinks and tears her eyes away from him, picking up bandages and muttering under her breath.

“You have to take off your shirt.”

He grins and decides against making one of his usual lewd comments, unbuttoning his shirt and delicately peeling it from his body. He hisses softly as he pulls his injured arm from the sleeve. She lets her eyes peruse over his tan chest and a blush creeps to her cheeks, but then she sees the gash in his shoulder. Dark, dried trails of blood cover his entire arm and the small hole housing the bullet trickles still. Elizabeth gets to work, wiping and dabbing with extreme caution. He almost laughs at her, until she presses the cloth to the bullet hole directly, rousing a groan to escape through his nose. She looks apologetic, but her lips are pressed together tightly. Rio assumes she is trying in vain to stop herself from asking the question that hangs heavy in the air between them like a fog. 

_What happened?_

He knows she's thinking it. She's probably worried it'll piss him off; it has in the past. He isn't the biggest fan of her incessant need to know everything about every situation they find themselves in, but her silence is surprising him. As she starts to work on removing the bullet, he breaks the silence in order to distract himself from the new wave of nauseating pain.

"Why don't you speak your mind, darlin'?"

Elizabeth looks up at him, at his mouth, before returning to the task at hand. She makes quick work of it, placing the silver bullet on a paper towel and Rio mumbles a small "thank you". She smiles a little and finishes bandaging him up, stepping back to survey her work. She moves to clean his knuckles and applies Neosporin to them, finishing with wrapping them in gauze. Her bottom lip disappears under her teeth before she turns away from him, picking up a mug from the sink and taking the bottle from beside him. 

"I don't really see the point of that. It doesn't usually get me anywhere."

He hums in acknowledgment, smiling around the rim of his glass as he drains it. He slips his hand into his back pocket, pulling out an Altoids tin. She watches him curiously as he plucks one of the three remaining joints from inside the tin and lights it.

"Maybe this'll make me more chatty."

He smirks, raising an eyebrow at her. He puffs a few more times and relaxes once drug's effects creep through his system.

"One can hope."

She surprises him again by pulling the joint from his mouth and placing it between her lips, taking a long drag from it. He watches her, captivated by the way her mouth wraps delicately around the paper.

It makes him ache for her. It makes his mind run wild with scenes of her mouth wrapped around something _else_. He shakes his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts from his brain. Smoke billows into the air above their heads and she stares at it before it disappears. He allows himself a few more minutes to calculate his next words.

"One of my boys turned on me."

He offers gently. He hears his own voice- hears the sadness seeping through his words- and his chest feels tight all over again. 

Elizabeth's expression is neutral, but he sees the softness in her eyes. She doesn't speak. She sits down beside him on the other stool with the blunt hanging limply in her grip. She passes it to him and he begins to roll it between his fingertips.

That's when he decides he's going to tell her everything.

She deserves to know; he showed up unannounced, leakin' everywhere, and she didn't even question him. 

He knows talking about it, saying it out loud, will help him, too.

"His name's Eddie," he begins, catching himself with a sigh, "well, his name _was_ Eddie. I've known him since he was twelve. He used to play tee-ball with my little brother."

This is the first time he's ever mentioned his family to her, apart from Marcus, and he can see her trying to process this new information.

"We were in the warehouse tonight, talkin' over numbers, and he came in late. He's never late- knows how much it pisses me off- so it was weird. Everyone got real quiet, even Demon. God knows nothing ever shuts that man up." He looks at her now, knowing her face will help ground him. Elizabeth places her hand over his reassuringly, as if she can read his mind.

He stares at her fingers as they rubs small circles into his skin, making him feel all sorts of things he knows he has no business feeling. 

"Anyways, we continued the meetin' and it was normal, until Cisco mentioned the fact that Eddie hadn't spoke the whole time. We all looked over at him and," he finds himself staring at the pictures adorning the wall, just behind her head, "he pulled his piece out. Aimed right at me and fired."

She sucks in a breath, drawing his attention back to her. Her eyes are glazed and his hand suddenly has a mind of its own, trailing slowly down her temple. 

"He didn't hesitate or nothin'. None of 'em have ever looked at me like that." 

He's pissed as he says it, his jaw clenching around the words. Dealing with grief ain't exactly his stongsuit, so he often deflects. His mom always got on to him for it, but it's better this way in his line of work. Being sad never gets shit done.

Before he can regain focus, she pushes up towards his face, placing a kiss on his cheek, and he nearly melts. His face burns were her lips touched and he balls up his fists to stop himself from throwing his arms around her. When she pulls away, she's concentrating hard on the features on his face. He guard must be down right now, but he can't bring himself to care. 

Maybe it's the alcohol, maybe it's the weed, but he's pretty sure it's just her.

"What happened to him?"

Her voice is cautious and he can tell she fully expects him to withhold the answer. 

"Cisco took care of it. Bullet was too busy tryna get me the fuck outta dodge."

He laughs, jolting his arm in the process. His face contorts in pain for a split second before he can regain his composure. She stands up again, instinctively, and gingerly wraps her hand around his bicep.

"I don't understand how you drove like this."

"Adrenaline is the craziest thing, right?"

He's unable to stop his smile from spreading. Her expression is mirroring his own and then she blinks, realizing how close their proximity has gotten. He watches her patiently through hooded eyes, carefully maintaining a straight face.

\---

Beth feels like all of the air has been sucked from the room.

This is the first time he has ever been open with her about, well, _anything_. She wants to show him how grateful she is for that.

It makes her swell with pride that he is finally treating her as an equal.

As a _partner_.

Rio's expression has returned to its normal state, and she knows he's finished sharing, but his eyes are dark and mischievous. Her mind reels with the information he just dropped in her lap and she has difficulty processing everything because of the abnormal amount of weed she's consumed. Well, abnormal for her. He's nearly finished with the joint, lazily cupping the burning end to ensure it doesn't go out. For a minute, she just gazes at him, lost in her thoughts. 

The calculated way he explained things to her leads her to believe he has no idea why this happened. And that must hurt.

She remembers Eddie as the younger man who had showed up in Jane's bed, staining her sheets with blood. He was probably in his late twenties, if she had to guess, which means that Rio has known him for more than ten years. 

She couldn't imagine someone she's known for that long _shooting_ her in cold blood.

"You got anything to eat? I'm starvin'."

His drawl snaps her from her trance. She smiles at him with a small "mhm" and makes her way to the fridge. She grabs two spoons and the remainder of a tub of chocolate ice cream, lighting a candle as well to cleanse the room of any weed smell. The window over the sink is open, though, so she doubts the stench will linger until morning.

"Your babies home tonight?"

He asks, obviously taking note of the lit candle. She hands him the spoon and sits back down, peeling off the lid of the ice cream and scooping out a generous bite. Her stomach feels like a black hole.

"Yeah, but don't worry. Annie's apartment reeks all the time, so they just assume it's her natural scent."

He laughs at that, throwing his head back and exposing his throat to her, and crushes the end of the blunt on the paper towel in front of him. She swallows thickly and looks away, trying in vain to ignore the sexual tension that seems to be surrounding them at all times.

Shaking his head, he dips his spoon into the tub.

"How'd you learn to dislodge a bullet that quick, ma?"

She shrugs and spoons another bite into her mouth.

"Youtube. I figured I'd need to know one of these days."

He comments around the ice cream in his mouth, saying something that sounds like "smart", before meeting her gaze again, intensely. She feels the overwhelming urge to kiss him again, the brief time her lips spent on his scruffy cheek not nearly enough. Her eyes must be giving her away because suddenly he's looking her up and down, tugging his bottom lip into his mouth. Her skin feels like its burning under his stare.

Smoking has always made her confident, and horny.

Beth clears her throat, but she finds herself unable to tear her eyes away from him- he's captivating. 

“Thanks for everything. I owe you one.”

Rio smiles kindly at her and it takes her by surprise.

Maybe his brush with death has helped him turn over new leaf? The usual edge to his tone has all but disappeared, and he’s almost _soft._ She's never experienced him like this and, if she thought she was in trouble before, now she knows there's no going back. Her feelings for him are glaringly obvious and there is nothing she can do about it. 

She waves away his gratitude and starts to clean up their ice cream. 

“I wish I could do more to help with the pain, but I’m afraid hard liquor is all I have to offer.”

Well, she thinks, that’s not the _only _thing I have to offer.

He always seems to know what she thinking- it's infuriating- and now he's leaning closer to her, invading her senses and her space.

"I can think of a few other things that might help wit' the pain."


	2. Two Weeks and Four Days Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth exhales sharply and places her phone in her back pocket. She smooths her hands over the front of her dark green dress, feeling confident in her outfit of choice for once. The place isn’t too busy tonight and she finds herself relaxing, finally. Her eyes drift around the bar and soon her thoughts drift as well. 
> 
> She knows she shouldn’t think of him. 
> 
> She shouldn’t think about how he would look leaning up against the bar, right beside her. Dark eyes observing her, maybe dipping down to take in the bit of exposed cleavage. She shouldn’t think about his hands and how they would grip a glass of vodka, or her thighs. She definitely shouldn’t think about his plush lips and how often he licks over them, especially that night, a few weeks ago, when he showed up unannounced-
> 
> No.
> 
> She crosses her legs and straightens her posture, effectively cutting off her train of thought. 
> 
> There’s a reason he isn’t here right now.

Beth sat at the bar with her leg bouncing anxiously. She’d been waiting on her blind date- Thomas? Maybe Trevor?- for twenty minutes.

Well, maybe she did arrive a little early on account of her nerves.

Annie said it would be good too, quote, “Hop on some non-gang related dick”, and Ruby had wholeheartedly agreed. Thus began the grueling search for Beth’s date, which ended in Ruby convincing her to attend a blind one with a supposed “hot” guy she just met at PTA at Sara’s new school- Thomas. Or Trevor.

She should probably get that straight before he arrives.

Beth pulls out her phone, quickly typing a message to Ruby.

_What’s his name again?_

The response came almost immediately. She rolls her eyes, knowing full well that Ruby and Annie were discussing Beth’s current situation over drinks on a couch.

_Beth! His name is Timothy!_

Beth exhales sharply and places her phone in her back pocket. She smooths her hands over the front of her dark green dress, feeling confident in her outfit of choice for once. The place isn’t too busy tonight and she finds herself relaxing, finally. Her eyes drift around the bar and soon her thoughts drift as well.

She knows she shouldn’t think of him.

She shouldn’t think about how he would look leaning up against the bar, right beside her. Dark eyes observing her, maybe dipping down to take in the bit of exposed cleavage. She shouldn’t think about his hands and how they would grip a glass of vodka, or her thighs. She _definitely_ shouldn’t think about his plush lips and how often he licks over them, especially that night, a few weeks ago, when he showed up unannounced-

_No._

She crosses her legs and straightens her posture, effectively cutting off her train of thought.

_There’s a reason he isn’t here right now_.

Before she starts to relive that night _again,_ a warm hand covers her shoulder.

“Beth?”

She turns to meet the inviting blue eyes of Timothy. Trying her best to look calm and unbothered, she smiles at him.

“Hi! So nice to finally meet you, Timothy.”

He chuckles a little before sitting down next to her, palms flat on the bar-top and giving her his full attention.

“It’s just Tim. I’m happy to meet you as well. Ruby has done nothing but talk you up for the past week.”

“I could say the same. You have a reputation to live up to, for sure.”

He smiles widely and waves down the bartender, ordering himself a whiskey sour, and Beth takes the opportunity to look him over. He’s handsome. He has a black coat on over a white button-up, black jeans and nice boots. His hair is light brown and a little curly, which Beth thinks is cute. He’s over six feet tall and he is in great shape, as far as she can tell through his layers. He looks a little younger than her- maybe thirty-eight or nine- but there’s no way he’s younger than…

_Stop it._

“I have to say, one thing Ruby didn’t warn me about is how out of my league you are.”

Tim laughs lightly, quickly scanning his eyes over her body. She feels her cheeks get hot at his forwardness.

“I mean, you put all of the other women in this bar to shame.”

Beth shakes her head with a nervous grin, not very used to compliments.

“Thank you, but I’m hardly out of your league. I’m sure all the moms at PTA would be jealous of me right now.”

Beth knows how to flirt. Hell, she was the queen of flirting in college. She and Dean had been together, but there was a six month period where they had broken up and she experienced freedom for the first time in years. Flirting has always been fun for her and that includes tonight. Talking to an attractive man who isn’t _him _is refreshing to say the least.

“I don’t know about that.”

Tim waves her compliment away, much like she had done, and shifts a little closer to her.

"So, Ruby told me you just got out of a relationship.”

She rolls her eyes and lets out a breath, annoyed that her broken marriage will haunt her for the foreseeable future.

“Actually, it’s been about a seven months since the divorce was finalized-“

“Sorry, I didn’t mean the divorce.”

Tim apologizes awkwardly and gestures with the hand that isn’t nursing his drink.

“I meant your more recent relationship.”

And that just-

_What?_

What did Ruby tell this guy?

She scrambles to collect her thoughts, but she’s too frazzled to formulate a response.

“I-uh- what do you mean? I mean, what did Ruby say to you about that?”

He shrugs and doesn’t seem to notice how off-kilter she suddenly became.

“Not much. She just said he wasn’t right for you and you took the breakup badly. Which is nothing to be embarrassed about. I just got out of a two year relationship that was really hard on me, so I completely understand.”

She swallows thickly, words dying in her throat.

Why had Ruby told him that? She and Rio were never together.

The thought of categorizing _Rio_ as one of her exes makes her ears hot.

“Well, it was complicated. We were never actually, um,” she struggles to even get the word out, “dating.”

He raises his eyebrows curiously, but she switches the topic. If she speaks about this any longer, she’s going to embarrass herself.

“I hear you have twin boys. That must be hectic at times.”

Tim’s eyes light up at the mention of his kids and he starts to tell her all about them. Grant and Nolan are ten, around Danny’s age, and apparently they both love baseball.

Beth enjoys herself and she’s satisfied with listening for most of the date. Tim is a good father, she can tell right away, and that scores him some points. She is pleasantly surprised when he reveals himself to be very funny and she spends a lot of their night together laughing at his animated retelling of various stories. He suggested they move from the bar to the booths, and she happily complied.

He asks her about her kids, her sister and Ruby, her hobbies, and more. The best part about it is the fact that he seems to be genuinely interested in her life. She steers him clear of asking her about work or her “not” ex-boyfriend, and she can’t help but notice how much she’s been smiling.

After a few hours of delicious appetizers and great conversation, Beth checks her watch and stares at it in shock.

“Oh my God! It’s almost midnight! I told my sitter I would be home by 11:30.”

She slides out of the booth, flustered, and Tim stands up right beside her. He helps her slips her jacket on and offers to walk her to her car. She smiles at him and loops her arm through his, allowing him to lead them outside.

“I had a wonderful time tonight. I really hope I’ll see you again soon.”

Tim smiles down at her from where he leans on her car, his hands stuffed into the front of his coat. Her lips pull into a grin as she opens the driver side door.

“I would count on it. Thank you for the drinks and potato skins.”

He chuckles and she finds herself pushing up on her toes to reach him. She kisses him, briefly. His lips aren’t too soft or too harsh, and his cleanly shaven face feels smooth against her own. Somehow, his smile grows when she pulls away and hops into her car. He reaches to close the door behind her.

“Goodnight, Beth. Drive safe.”

“Goodnight, Tim.”

He stands in the parking lot waving at her as she drives away from the bar.

—

Rio grabs the paperwork off of his desk and storms through the busy warehouse, absolutely fuming.

One of his suppliers has tried to short him, _again_, and now he has to go deal with it. His gun rests against his hip, swinging in its holster, and he instinctively places his hand on it. Cisco is standing by the back door and looks up as Rio passes him.

“Yo, where you headin’? We’re about to lock up for the night.”

“Gotta handle some bullshit. Wanna join?”

The bigger man shrugs, handing his clipboard to the guy next to him, Tony, giving a few orders and following Rio out to his car. Rio’s long legs aid him in crossing the parking lot quickly and Cisco almost has to jog to keep up.

“Would ya slow down, sunshine?”

He chuckles to himself as Rio jumps into his car. The both set their guns in their laps as he peels away from the warehouse and drives on to the main road.

“Dom’s being a fuckin’ idiot. We’re about to go teach ‘em a lesson.”

Rio says through gritted teeth. Cisco nods slowly, looking out the window as the familiar scenery of Dom’s place creeps into view. The house is an eye sore and essentially falling apart, but Rio knows it too well. This is the third time this month he has had to make a trip here to sort some shit out, and this is the last straw. He deals with enough dumbasses in his day-to-day without the addition of Dom’s crew.

He throws the car in park but, before he can leap out, Cisco flattens his hand against his boss’s chest.

“You sure you wanna go in there all fucked up like this? Take a second to breathe, man.”

“I’m fine. ‘M not gonna cap his ass. Just need to put the fear o’ God in ‘em.”

He knows he’s acting unhinged lately. Everything is making him mad.

It doesn’t help that _all he can think about it is her_.

It’s been two weeks and four days, exactly, since he’d last been with her. He told himself that distance would help. Maybe if he didn’t see her all the time, he could effectively do away with any feelings he might have that aren’t strictly business related.

It hasn’t been working. If anything, it only adds to his ever-present frustration. The amount of times he has woken up, hard and flustered with her on mind, is ridiculous. He hasn’t been this obsessive and horny since he was a teenager.

With a grunt, he makes his way to the house. Cisco, still eyeing Rio warily, gets out of the car and follows him up the steps. Rio knocks aggressively on the front door before deciding to let himself in.

“Yo, Dom! Where ya’ at, fucker?”

He yells into the empty living room. Beer cans and cigarettes litter the floor and he’s hit with the stench of old Chinese food. His face scrunches and he pulls his beanie down further, strolling through the disgusting house as if he owns it. In the corner of the kitchen, a younger boy with an afro is leaning on the counter. He’s tapping on his phone, completely unaware. Rio marches over to him, whips his piece out, and pushes the barrel up against his chin.

“Woah, dude!”

Afro’s eyes go wide as he throws his hands up in surrender. Rio chuckles at him, darkly, nodding at Cisco to grab the kid. He does, throwing his skinny ass into the only chair in the dingy kitchen. Rio perches on the counter and puts his gun down next to him, tilting his chin up and observing the young man’s trembling shoulders and wild expression. He can’t be older than twenty.

“You’re Rio, aren’t you?”

The boy says, his voice breaking pathetically. Rio just smiles and looks over at Cisco, who’s gun is now pressing into his temple.

“Where’s ya’ boss at, kid?”

“I-I don’t know. He’s been gone for a few days.”

Rio clicks his tongue disapprovingly, making a ‘tsk’ noise. He strolls over to the fridge, lazily pulling it open and looking over its contents. There’s nothing inside except a few loose beers and a forgotten carton of milk. He’ll never understand how anyone can live in this filth.

“I don’t like bein’ lied too. You lyin’ to me?”

He asks over his shoulder. The kid shakes his head quickly, concentrating on his hands, which are clasped together in his lap.

“Where’s the rest of ‘em?”

Rio stands in front of him, rolling his shoulders back impatiently. Afro glances at a bolted door in the living room, presumably leading to the basement. He doesn’t speak, but Rio starts towards the door and inspects the lock. He feels himself growing annoyed again and he makes that fact known.

“You gonna give me the key, or do you need some more persuadin’?”

Cisco, more than accustomed to this charade, clicks the safety off of his gun in response to Rio’s words. Afro’s lip quivers and he points to a drawer near the sink. Rio opens it and pulls out a ring of keys.

“It’s the red one. Please, just-“

He chokes back tears and Rio rolls his eyes.

“Don’t tell them I told you.”

Shrugging in indifference, Rio sticks the key into the lock and waves at Cisco to follow him.

“You better get your scrawny ass outta here then, huh?”

Cisco lowers is gun and, immediately, the kid scrambles to his feet and leaves the kitchen. Rio descends the stairs with his hand wrapped around his piece. Darkness shrouds the staircase and he can hear voices at the bottom. Before emerging into the poorly lit basement, he turns to Cisco.

“Harrison’s who we’re after; he’s Dom’s right hand man. I’mma need you to aim for the knee, got it?”

Cisco nods wordlessly and steps out in front of Rio.

As soon as the gun fires, screams of confusion flood the room. Harrison is on the floor, hugging his right knee to his chest. Blood pools around him and seeps into the ugly shag carpet. The two other men in the room are standing with their hands in the air, staring at Rio as he walks confidently towards Harrison’s cowering body. He kneels down and uses his gun to push Harrison’s chin up, frantic green eyes meeting deep, scathing brown.

“Long time no see, my man.”

He quips sarcastically. Harrison opens and closes his mouth, looking like a fish out of water, before formulating an answer.

“I-I don’t know where Dom is! I’ve been trying to contact him for days an-and no one’s seen him!”

The obvious pain he’s in punctuates his words, making him breathless. Rio isn’t impressed.

“Nah, that’s cool. As long as y’all can give me the 100 Gs I’m missin’, I don’t give a fuck where that dumbass is hidin’.”

Harrison’s eyes go wide and he looks to the other two goons.

“Missing? We don’t know anything about tha-Ah!“

He cuts himself off, yelping as Rio presses his gun into the fresh bullet hole. His face is unbothered and emotionless as he watches Harrison writhe below him.

“I’m gonna need some answers real soon.”

Harrison sits up, clutching desperately at his wound, and uses the couch behind him to rest against. After a few heavy breathes, he meets Rio’s eyes.

“All I know is that he took his kids and fucked off. His crazy ass ex-wife don’t even know where he went. She showed up two days ago.”

Slowly rising to his feet, Rio slips his gun into his back pocket. His mind is buzzing and he stares down at Harrison once again, his tone threatening.

“If you find out where he is, you know how to get in touch.”

He smiles at the others and yanks open the door leading to the open garage. Cisco trails closely behind him.

“Otherwise, I’ll be seein’ you boys real soon.”

With one last perusal of the terrified expression adorning the faces of Dom’s men, he leaves with a self-satisfied smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited for the ideas I have for the next few chapters- I hope you enjoy! In this AU, Beth and Dean have been divorced for a while by the way. PS: I know next to nothing about gang-life or anything related to it, so I'm gonna do my own thing when it comes to Rio's business and shit


	3. Even In My Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does she do this to him? How does she continue to invade his dreams?
> 
> He never should have gone to her house that night. He should have paid a visit to Demon’s wife, Laura, because she is more than capable of treating bullet wounds. He just wanted to see Elizabeth.

_Her flawless skin damn near glows under the moonlight seeping through her glass bedroom doors and his breath catches in his throat._

_She’s so beautiful. So elegant._

_His hands caress every part of her- her thighs, her arms, her waist, her breasts- and he’s certain that he’s never felt anything softer. He wants to memorize every curve. Her eyes are blown with lust and he knows he looks just as wrecked. She leans forward, crushing their chests together, and brushes her lips over his. He tangles his hand in her hair, pulling her head forward for a bruising kiss. He doesn’t care if he’s being greedy or impatient. He’s never wanted anyone or anything more in his life. She moans against his mouth, using his one good shoulder for support as she lifts herself up. He feels himself getting overwhelmed as he lines up with her entrance. She sinks down, slow and delicious, biting her moans into his neck. He can’t control his own sounds of pleasure as she begins rocking her hips against him._

_“Fuck, Elizabeth. Like that.”_

_He stutters out. She starts to suck on his skin, starting at his collarbone and working up to the wing of his tattoo. One of his hands kneads at her bottom while the other snakes down to where their bodies meet, circling gently over her clit._

_“Feels so good, baby.”_

_She whimpers into his ear, causing his heart to pound at the use of the pet name. She never calls him anything but Rio. Her teeth pull at his earlobe and he closes his eyes blissfully. Nothing has ever felt like this. He wants to make it last. _

_He flips them over so she is laying on her back. She looks up at him just before capturing his lips in another kiss. He sucks at her bottom lip and pushes back into her, swallowing her moans. The pace he sets is slow and deliberate. Her mouth forms and “O” and Rio watches her intently, refusing to tear his eyes away from her angelic features. He feels himself getting closer and closer. She is utterly intoxicating._

_“Let it go, mama.”_

_He growls against her hair as he pounds into her. With every slap of their skin, she moans, coming undone beneath him. Her walls clench around him, pulling him to his orgasm. His hips stutter wildly and he can’t contain the low, animalistic sound that erupts from his throat. The only noise in the room is their heavy combined breathing, that is until she whispers his name so softly he almost thinks he imagined it._

_“Rio.”_

_\--_

He jolts upright in his bed, beads of sweat forming at his hairline. His bedroom is dark and he glances at the clock on his night stand.

**2:45 AM**

“Fuck me.”

He mumbles angrily, throwing his arm out to feel the empty space beside him. She should be here, curled against his side. Her sweet smell should be staining his pillowcase, her delicate hand should be resting on his bare chest. He runs his palms over his face, aggravated and semi-hard.

How does she do this to him? How does she continue to invade his dreams?

He never should have gone to her house that night. He should have paid a visit to Demon’s wife, Laura, because she is more than capable of treating bullet wounds. He just wanted to see _Elizabeth._

He fucked everything up. They hadn’t had sex that night, they had made love. He shouldn’t have let himself get so caught up in the moment they shared. He thinks back to the minutes following his dream.

_“I gotta go.”_

_He hears himself say, although the words feel foreign on his tongue. Her fingers stop stroking over his hair and she blinks up at him, confused._

_“You aren’t going to sleep here? You can’t drive.”_

_She gestures to his bandages and looks pointedly at the empty bourbon glasses on her bedside table. He shakes his head and slips out from under the covers._

_“I’ll be fine.”_

_Blood is pounding in his ears as he collects his clothes from the floor. He doesn’t want to leave. In fact, it’s the last thing he wants to do right now. But he doesn’t have a choice. If he allows himself to stayed wrapped up in this fantasy any longer, he won’t make it back to reality. _

_And in reality, the two of them together doesn’t work._

_She watches him, silent until he has his hand on the door-handle leading to her backyard._

_“I don’t understand.”_

_Her voice is hoarse and he can tell she’s withholding tears. His heart hurts in his chest, but he refuses to look back at her. If he does, he’ll never be able to leave._

_“Me either.”_

_He whispers, not even sure she can hear him, before slipping out of the room and into the cold night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super short chapter, but I honestly just wanted to see how well I would be able to write smut lmaoooo I hope y'all liked it (:


	4. Liquid Courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t think showing up drunk is a good idea.”
> 
> Ruby agrees, but Annie rolls her eyes and takes Beth’s glass from her. She pours the wine until it is centimeters from the rim, and Beth throws her arms out to stop it. 
> 
> “Annie-!“
> 
> “This is liquid courage! Trust me.”

“So? How was the date? I mean, usually the third date is when things _heat up_.”

Annie’s eyebrows quirk and her enthusiasm is already giving Beth a headache. She’s only been in her little sister’s apartment for ten minutes. Ruby should be here soon, and then the three of them have to go meet Rio for a drop. She’s beyond nervous about seeing him again and, frankly, she’s angry with him. She feels like a high schooler, but, in her own head, her feelings are justified. She felt so used after their night together. He kissed her and touched her and held her like _that_, and then he just vanished.

Her jaw clenches at the memory of his lips ghosting the shell of her ear, and the smooth cadence of the sweet nothings he whispered still burned in her mind.

_“So pretty, mama.”_

_“Been dreamin’ ‘bout this too long.”_

_“Don’t be shy, ‘Lizabeth. Lemme hear you.”_

Her chest tightens, but she pushes it away. Her date with Tim had been great, and the two of them have gone out twice since. He’s almost Rio’s polar opposite, which, she figures, is exactly what she needs. He is light hearted and caring, and he seems to do everything in his power to make her laugh. He even suggested a playdate with their kids, offering to host and provide lunch, and she smiles a bit as she remembers how excited he had been.

“Hello? Earth to Beth.”

Beth refocuses on her sister, who is animatedly waving her hands.

“Oh, sorry. Uh, the date was nice. I want to take it somewhat slow, though.”

Annie looks at her like she has three heads. Beth just offers her a shrug.

“Why? That man is a _snack_. I mean, not compared to gang friend, but-“

Beth averts her eyes, swallowing the lump that forms in her throat at the mention of him. She lifts her wine glass to her lips and take a considerably large drink.

The front door opening distracts Annie from the nightmarish conversation, and Ruby steps inside.

“Hey, girls.”

Annie pours Ruby a glass of wine, catching her up on their conversation, and she joins them on the couch. Beth checks her phone clock.

“It’s time to go, guys.”

“Chill, B. Let me drink my wine. We got at least twenty minutes.”

“She’s anxious about seeing _bang_ friend.”

Annie smirks and laughs at her own joke. Beth glares at her while Ruby tries to hide her smile behind her glass.

“Can we just call him Rio, please?”

“Nope! He shall henceforth be known as bang friend.”

Annie says in a sing-songy British accent. She leans toward Beth, attempting to refill her drink, but Beth arches away from her.

“I don’t think showing up drunk is a good idea.”

Ruby agrees, but Annie rolls her eyes and takes Beth’s glass from her. She pours the wine until it is centimeters from the rim, and Beth throws her arms out to stop it.

“Annie-!“

“This is liquid courage! Trust me.”

Beth turns to Ruby for help, but she just shrugs.

“It can’t really hurt.”

So, with a frustrated huff, Beth finishes her glass in two gulps.

—

Rio is sitting in his car, pressing himself hard into the headrest and staring at his rearview mirror. The parking lot is completely empty and he waits, motionless, for that white momma van to inevitably pull up next to his Cadillac. It’s easy for him to avoid thoughts of her during the day- he works, he boxes, he reads, he hangs out with his kid, he visits his siblings or his mom- but, now? With the anticipation of seeing her again coursing through his veins?

He sighs, loudly, before cursing under his breath in Spanish.

Two bright headlights illuminate the lot, grabbing his attention. He watches the van park a few spots away from him and he notices that Elizabeth isn’t driving. The friend, Ruby, is sitting in the drivers seat and Elizabeth slides out of the car from the passenger side. She takes a clumsy step forward and he smirks. He’s out of his car in seconds, leaning against it and examining the three of them as they approach him with two black duffel bags.

“Good afternoon.”

Elizabeth says in a bubbly tone. He squints at her and Annie’s face twists up in a slightly shocked expression. They’ve never exchanged pleasantries before on drops, but Rio tips his head back and his lips curl up. He allows himself to drink her in. She’s wearing a low-cut, dark blue sweater and black jeans. Her rosy skin is all too exposed to him and he reluctantly pulls his eyes from her chest.

“‘Evenin’”

Ruby is quick to toss the bag in her arms at his feet, taking a step back towards the van. Elizabeth rolls her eyes and bends down to pick up the duffel, which landed closer to her than it did to Rio. She straightens up, with minor difficulty, and closes the space between them. She holds out the bag for him.

“Sorry about that. She’s just mad cuz she had to drive.”

Elizabeth says, punctuating her explanation with one of the cutest giggles he’s ever heard.

“You trashed right now, Elizabeth?”

He asks, feigning disbelief. She’s too fun to tease. Her cheeks grow red in seconds and she meets his eyes, peering at him through those damn lashes.

“Maybe a little.”

Annie laughs, effectively interruptin’ his moment with Elizabeth. He glowers at the younger woman, but she starts talking anyway.

“She’s plastered. We both had such stressful days and I told her she-“

“I don’t care about your ladies night. Gimme my money and go home.”

Annie immediately shuts up. She glances at Elizabeth, but Elizabeth’s eyes are stuck on him. He feels white-hot desire burn deep in his chest. It should be illegal for her to look at him like that.

“Beth, c’mon. Your other man is way nicer, anyway.”

Annie’s voice pieces through his thoughts and causes his brain to damn near short-circuit. Elizabeth’s eyes go huge a split second before she whips her head around, most likely to glare at her mouthy sister. Rio tries not to let his reaction paint his features, so he bites down on the inside of his cheek and simply raises an eyebrow.

“His name is Tim. He’s very nice and he actually talks to Beth. Also, just for the record, he’s cute as hell.”

That’s when Elizabeth snaps, grabbing Annie by the arm and tugging her to the car. Rio lounges against his car and listens, an amused smile playing on his lips while Elizabeth tears Annie a new one. He wonders if Annie would talk to him like this if she were sober.

Elizabeth emerges from behind the vehicle, obviously exasperated, carrying the other duffle bag. He takes the bag and hands her the one he brought, brushing his fingers very purposefully against hers in the exchange.

“Have a good night.”

Her tone is clipped but Rio can sense she isn’t so much angry. She’s tired. Not just too-little sleep tired; she’s mentally tired. He juts out his bottom lip at her, unable to avoid teasing her once more before she leaves.

“New man treating you right?”

She doesn’t turn, much to his disappointment, but she does respond after reaching the car door.

“He’s fine.”

Her voice is small and he feels the overwhelming need to_ hold _her.

But he just sticks his hands into his hoodie pocket and plants his heels in the pavement, watching the van drive away and realizing, with a sense of abject horror, that he already misses her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter- it's not super long, sorry. Also, I'm lowkey excited to write more *cough* intimate stuff, but I wanna build tension for a bit because I live for tension.
> 
> Also, I wrote this entire chapter stoned so I really hope it makes sense.


	5. Take Me Out to the Ballgame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hi, Ms. Beth.”
> 
> “Hi, Nolan. What’re you up to?”
> 
> “Not much. Grant and I have a baseball game in a few hours, so Danny is warming us up.”
> 
> He plops down between the two of them, and Tim musses his hair affectionately.
> 
> “Got the big game today, huh?”
> 
> “Yeah! If we win today, we go to state!”
> 
> Nolan tells her excitedly.
> 
> “Oh, wow! Are you nervous?”
> 
> “Nah. Grant’s the best pitcher ever and I’m the fastest outfielder on the team. You should come watch us! The game starts at 6:30.”
> 
> She meets Tim’s eyes over his son’s head. He shrugs with a grin and she finds herself nodding.
> 
> “I can actually make that work. I’m sure Danny would love to come too.”

“Coffee?”

Beth peers up from her book to see Tim wearing sunglasses and a bright smile. He is holding out a Starbucks cup and she takes it.

“Are you a mind reader?”

She takes a generous sip and watches him sit beside her on the bench. Grant and Nolan bound onto the playground with their baseball mitts tucked into their chests. _They are definitely identical, _Beth thinks as the boys fist bump Danny upon seeing him. Grant’s mop of curls is the only way she is able to tell them apart from afar. She grins to herself, quickly glancing at Tim and wondering if he had hair like that when he was young. He’s sipping leisurely from his own cup, observing the kids playing with his jean clad legs crossed at the ankles.

“You’ll never guess what I’m drinking.”

He says without taking his eyes off of the monkey bars.

“I’m sure I won’t. I thought men only took it black.”

She jokes and he nudges her cup in response, quirking his eyebrows suggestively.

“You are not drinking a Caramel macchiato.”

He nods in confirmation, grinning and opening the lid to his cup to prove it to her.

“I even ordered extra whip.”

She shakes her head, unable to stop her smile from growing.

“You must be really comfortable in your masculinity.”

She quips. Before he can respond, Nolan sprints up to the bench. He wipes sweat from his forearm with his sleeve and gives her a gap-toothed smile.

“Hi, Ms. Beth.”

“Hi, Nolan. What’re you up to?”

“Not much. Grant and I have a baseball game in a few hours, so Danny is warming us up.”

He plops down between the two of them, and Tim musses his hair affectionately.

“Got the big game today, huh?”

“Yeah! If we win today, we go to state!”

Nolan tells her excitedly.

“Oh, wow! Are you nervous?”

“Nah. Grant’s the best pitcher ever and I’m the fastest outfielder on the team. You should come watch us! The game starts at 6:30.”

She meets Tim’s eyes over his son’s head. He shrugs with a grin and she finds herself nodding.

“I can actually make that work. I’m sure Danny would love to come too.”

“Yes! You rock, Ms. Beth!”

—

After packing snacks for her, Danny, Tim, and whoever else might need one, Beth zips up her portable cooler. Danny bounds down the stairs wearing a Detroit tigers baseball jersey.

“You ready, Mom?”

He asks, rushing to the front door. She smiles and shakes her head at his eagerness.

“Go ahead and hop in the car. I have to give your aunt Ruby some money for dinner.”

Beth leans over the back of the couch and hands Ruby a two twenty dollar bills.

“Pizza should be fine. I’d order it soon, Kenny was starting to get hangry.”

“Sure thing. Have fun tonight.”

She smiles, shoulders her cooler, and kisses Jane’s head where she sits on Ruby’s lap.

The entire drive over, Danny is gushing about the twins. He’s leaning over the center console and gesturing wildly as he tells her about Grant’s fast ball. She’s happy Danny has grown close with them, especially since he has had trouble making friends in the past, but she can’t ignore the shred of regret she feels for introducing the kids so early. She likes Tim and he has agreed to take it slow with her physically, but now she isn’t sure where they stand outside of that.

And there is still the issue of her thoughts being absorbed by a certain handsome, yet infuriating, crime boss.

She knows Rio is the only reason she hasn’t slept with Tim yet and it makes her mad. Why isn’t she over him? Their night together had obviously meant nothing to him, seeing as he’s kept things professional since their last drop.

Well, with the exception of a few nights ago.

_“Elizabeth.”_

_“Rio? Why are you calling me at one in the morning?”_

_She slips her feet out from under the sheets, ready to be told to get dressed because of an unexpected delivery. But she hears him mumble something quietly in Spanish from the other line and remains seated on her bed._

_“I jus’ wanna talk. Catch you up on things, partner.”_

_He drawls, slowly. She feels goosebumps rise on her skin at the his low tone and it dawns on her._

_Is he really drunk dialing her?_

_“How much have you had to drink?”_

_Her question comes immediately after. He doesn’t answer her, of course he doesn’t, but he does respond._

_“We had a thing tonight for Eddie.”_

_Oh._

_Beth frowns at that, flashing back to their night together and the hurt expression he wore when he told her what happened. That explains the drinking, but not the reason for his call. She decides against pressing him more. She’s admittedly happy that he called her. Ever since he tore his walls down for her, she’s craved that intimacy. She misses him._

_“How did it go?”_

_There’s another sigh, it lasts a little longer._

_“It was aight. Seen more grown men cry tonight than ever before, though.”_

_She falls quiet, unsure how to answer that. A part of her wants to comfort him, like she had that night, but she doesn’t quite know how. Luckily, he speaks again._

_“How you been?”_

_Taken aback for just a moment, Beth tries to formulate a reply. She settles on revealing only a little, since he’s _ ** _always_ ** _ withholding things from her._

_“I’ve been alright. Annie and Ruby took me out.”_

_“Special occasion?”_

_She makes a noise of confirmation. Drunk Rio seems to be more interested in her life than sober Rio, and that realization hurts her more than she’d care to admit to herself. But, in the interest of continuing their conversation, she elaborates. _

_“Annie got promoted. We had to celebrate. Although, it didn’t feel like a celebration when I was holding her hair back after a dozen tequila shots.”_

_She casts a glance at her bedroom door, thinking about her sister passed out on Emma’s bunk bed with a trash can nearby just in case. Rio laughs, softly, and the sound makes her melt. He manages to sound sexy and adorable at the same time. She hears him intake a breath after his bought of laughter, thinking he’s going to speak, but he then he hiccups. The noise is so unexpected and uncharacteristic, she chuckles. _

_“Might’a had a little too much myself.”_

_Beth nods knowingly, even though she knows he can’t see her. He affects her in that way. Somehow talking to him on the phone feels almost as intense as talking to him in person. _

_“Yeah, I could kinda tell.”_

_“Oh, really? Damn, I thought I was bein’ discreet.”_

_He jokes, which makes her smile. After a few beats, she finally asks,_

_“Why’d you call me?”_

_“Dunno. I like your voice.”_

_He answers right away, easily. Her heart jumps into her throat and she can feel her cheeks redden._

_“Really?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_Something awfully close to _ ** _yearning _ ** _washes over her, making her skin tingle from head to toe. She wants this rare moment to last, wants to bask in his vulnerability._

_“I like your voice, too.”_

_He hums on the other end and she can picture his soft, gorgeous smile. She waits, hoping desperately he might confess something else, but she has no such luck._

_“Thanks for chattin’, Ma. Sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep.”_

_She rolls her eyes and tries to push away how disappointed she is that their conversation has come to an end._

_“Goodnight, Rio. Sleep well.”_

_“Night, sweetheart.”_

The memory fades, but the fondest of it does not, as she pulls into the parking lot adjacent to the baseball fields. Danny slips out of the car and makes a beeline for the bleachers. She can see Tim from here, at the very front of the crowd, and she picks up her pace. He had saved her a spot beside him and she greets him upon sitting down.

“Hey there, stranger.”

“You made it! Just in time, Grant is up to bat.”

Tim’s eyes shine with enthusiasm under the brim of his hat and she returns his broad smile.

“Go Grant!”

Danny calls, clapping and leaning over her shoulder. Grant turns towards his cheering section and, once his eyes land on Beth and Danny, a grin splits his freckled face. He gives Danny a thumbs up before stepping to the plate with his bat. He swings it a few more times and plants his feet, eyes trained on the opposing team’s pitcher. The pitcher winds up and throws a curveball, but Grant tips it with his bat. It’s a foul ball, so the pitcher positions himself again. Grant has a look of determination as he swings, and his bat hits the ball perfectly with a resounding crack. The ball soars into the outfield and he throws his bat unceremoniously to the ground.

“Yes! Take off, buddy!”

Tim shouts, jumping to his feet. Danny hollers in encouragement as Grant sprints for first base, then second. His foot hits the base right in time and Beth cheers with the parents around her.

The next kid on the team steps up to bat. He’s shorter than Grant and his blue helmet is a little big for him, which Beth finds adorable. He tilts it up so he can see better and shoots a quick look to the crowd, as Grant had done. She just barely catches a glimpse at his face, but, when she does, her blood freezes.

She had seen those big brown eyes before. And that dimpled, ridiculously contagious smile.

Marcus.

Of course. Of course his son is on Grant and Nolan’s team. Because fuck her, right?

She suddenly feels exposed. The thought of Rio being in the bleachers, so close to her and this new part of her life, makes her skin feel crawl. She doesn’t want him to see her with someone else, as childish as it may be.

Marcus gets a single and she listens very intently for one distinct voice amongst the cheers. But, she doesn’t hear him. She would be able to pick his voice out of any crowd.

Maybe Marcus’s mom is here instead…

She settles down a bit after that, enjoying the game as the home team scores six points in the first inning. Nolan wasn’t kidding about his brother’s skills. He throws two strikeouts and the third out is caught by one of the outfielders. Soon, they are winning eight to two. Danny and Tim munch on the baggies of apples and pretzels she packed, talking about Danny’s upcoming basketball season. With only two minutes left till the end of the game, Beth excuses herself and makes her way to the bathroom.

She stares at her reflection, smoothing her hands over her purple v-neck shirt and pulling at her loose curls.

Beth opens the door and starts to walk back to where she sees Tim surrounded by the three boys overly excited boys. Suddenly, something blocks her view and she finds herself colliding with someone’s chest. The intoxicating scent of mint and cologne immediately clouds her brain and her gut clenches. She backs away, stumbling, but his hands find her waist and he steadies her, fingers burning through her clothes where they rest. She already feels breathless when his eyes meet hers with trademark amusement.

“Careful there, Elizabeth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda love Grant and Nolan bc they're cute as fuck in my head. Also, Danny is the most underrated Boland kid, change my mind.


	6. Talk Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Marcus is playing today. He’s on the blue team, number fifteen.”
> 
> He jabs his thumb behind him, pointing in the direction of the field where she can see Marcus and a few other players chatting with the coach. Her eyes fall on Tim and the boys again, and fresh panic creeps into her bones. She opens her mouth to give him an excuse, any excuse, to escape his magnetic pull, but he beats her to it.
> 
> “What are you doin’ here? One of your boys playing?”
> 
> “Something like that.”

“Careful there, Elizabeth.”

Rio’s chocolate brown eyes shine with mirth and Beth feels like she’s about to spontaneously combust. He raises an eyebrow at her expectantly, and she takes a large step away from him, away from his captivating musk and his grip on her waist.

“Uh, sorry. I- um, what are you doing here?”

It’s a dumb question, she knows. He smirks at her, like he knew she’d ask, and shrugs his broad shoulders. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, the color stark against his tan, unblemished skin, and blue jeans. The sun is setting and the light washes over his face, softening his features. After her quick perusal of him, her face feels hot. If he notices, he doesn’t say anything. She’s surprised when he answers her question honestly.

“Marcus is playing today. He’s on the blue team, number fifteen.”

He jabs his thumb behind him, pointing in the direction of the field where she can see Marcus and a few other players chatting with the coach. Her eyes fall on Tim and the boys again, and fresh panic creeps into her bones. She opens her mouth to give him an excuse, any excuse, to escape his magnetic pull, but he beats her to it.

“What are_ you_ doin’ here? One of your boys playing?”

“Something like that.”

Beth says, too lax. Rio tilts his head to the side and squints at her, lips pursed, like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. She tries to walk past him before Tim’s eyes wander over to them, but then her shoulder brushes against his and her intended “goodbye” dies on her tongue. He runs his fingers down her forearm and her body’s reaction is instantaneous. She looks at him, his lips just inches from her temple, and smiles as butterflies take flight in her stomach.

“This is actually a nice lil’ coincidence.”

He says lowly, and she gives him a questioning look.

“If you got a minute, we should talk shop.”

Behind him, one of the team moms is announcing that she brought goldfish and capri suns. That’ll occupy the boys for a little longer, right? Maybe she can spare a few brief minutes.

“I can talk for a bit, sure.”

She says with a slight grin. He nods, promptly walking away and she turns on her heel to follow. He rounds the corner and stops in front of a small metal table by the concessions stand, motioning for her to sit next to him. She does, and he laces his hands together, considering her.

“So, one of our suppliers went AWOL.”

She frowns and watches his eyes grow darker as he considers how much information to divulge. Beth wonders, briefly, how often he wears that angry expression when he speaks about her. She bites her tongue, refusing to give in to her desire to bombard him with questions until he’s done talking. If he’s taught her anything, it’s patience.

“I got some intel on where he might be, but what I’m more concerned about is the money he stole from us.”

_Money he stole?_

_From_ ** _ us_ ** _…._

He reclines in his chair and takes in her reaction, allowing her to process the information at her own pace.

“How much?”

Is any of that money coming out of her cut? Which supplier was it? Did she know them? Dozens of other inquiries whir around in her head and she feels dizzy.

“About 100 grand.”

And that is so much more than she was expecting. She shakes her head in disbelief, eyes wide as frustration begins to boil in her veins. He chuckles lightly, noticing her change in demeanor, and leans over the tiny table, invading her space yet again.

“We’re gonna be shuttin’ things down at the dealership for a while. He ain’t gettin’ away wit’ it.”

And then, he’s gently twisting a strand of her hair between two of his fingers, brushing the skin of her cheek in the process.

“You know jus’ how much I hate it when people steal from me, mama.”

His voice drops, but, by the glint in his eyes, she knows he’s teasing her. She shifts in her seat, trying not to focus on the blood pounding in her ears. She would never admit it, but the idea of Rio “handling” someone gets her embarrassingly hot and bothered. She clears her throat, effectively clearing her mind as well, and meets his steady gaze again.

“How long will we be shut down?”

He shrugs, stretching his legs out in front of him. She relaxes after being released from the lustful trance he always throws her into.

“Depends. Won’t open back up until I see that money.”

Beth just nods, struggling to compile her scattered thoughts into more questions. Rio seems to be finished talking, though, and he stands.

“Look at it like a vacation, yeah? I’ll let ya’ know when to start things back up.”

He offers her his hand, which she takes with a tight smile. Shutting things down isn’t ideal and she is already thinking about how the lack of regular cash flow will affect her, her children, when Rio suddenly squeezes her shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. If you need any extra, you can always owe me.”

He says, as if it’s no big deal. Beth lets out a huff of laughter, constantly amazed at how effortlessly he flips from teasing to serious, from harsh to kind. The Rio she thought she knew wouldn’t even imagine loaning her money.

“Thank you.”

Rio smiles and continues staring at her, shamelessly. She loses herself in moments like these with him. When they’re this close, she can practically count each of his dark eyelashes and faded sun spots that freckle his cheeks. His features are just _so_ captivating, she’d be content with just looking at him for a while.

_No, Beth, you are in a relationship._

_Oh, shit._

“I should probably-uh, get back.”

She mutters lamely, but Rio nods once in understanding.

“Catch ya’ later, ma.”

With that, he turns on his heel, towards the parking lot. She lets her eyes follow his retreating figure, watching as he scoops up a waiting Marcus into his arms, baseball bag, dirt covered uniform and all. The young boy’s loud laughter fades as the two of them make their way to Rio’s car, and Beth sighs, returning to reality. She starts walking back to the rest of the team, forcing a smile at Tim upon seeing him. The kids are all slumped on the bottom row of the bleachers, looking bored, munching on goldfish. She feels a pang of guilt for making them wait and she says as much.

“I’m sorry for taking so long.”

“Where’d you go? I thought you got lost there for a minute.”

Tim jokes, leading the five of them to his car. Danny clings to her arm, mumbling complaints about being tired and hungry for “real food”.

“I just ran into a coworker. Lost track of time.”

He hums and stops abruptly at his car door. Grant and Nolan toss their gear in the trunk and they each give Danny an exploding fist bump before climbing into the back.

“Bye, Ms. Beth!”

They say, in perfect unison.

“Bye, guys! You both played great!”

She compliments, easily, with a small wave. They answer her with beaming smiles. Tim chuckles to himself, settling comfortably against his door.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

Beth looks at him curiously, but nods. She hands her keys to Danny, instructing him to sit in the car and wait for her. After he is gone, Tim peeks into the back window to observe his boys, not speaking for a moment.

“What’s up?”

Beth asks. She fears the worst.

_Did he see me with Rio?_

She’s worked hard to keep that part of her life to herself, at least until she is ready to tell him, and it would be a total disaster if he figured it out on his own. He meets her eyes and she notices how serious his expression has become. She mimics his position, leaning her shoulder on the door and waiting patiently for his response. He seems to think about exactly how he wants to string his words together and, eventually, he speaks.

“Is there a particular reason you won’t open up to me?”

His words startle her. That wasn’t what she was expecting.

“I, uh- I don’t know. I mean, we’ve only been going out a few weeks. And, I’m, y’know, still kind of new to the whole dating thing.”

Her tongue feels fat in her mouth and she feels her cheeks grow pink at the way she stumbled through her answer. Tim’s eyes lock on her and he reaches out, slowly, to caress her arm. His fingers dance down her skin until they reach her wrist and he laces their hands together loosely. She squeezes his palm in hers, hopefully reassuringly.

“If you still want to take it slow, that is perfectly fine. You’re worth it. But, just so you know, I’m really into you and I think we work well together.”

Tim smiles, glancing down at their joined hands, and Beth is impressed by his boldness.

“I like you too, Tim. The divorce just did a number on me, so it’s going to take me a while to be vulnerable and trust the same way I did before.”

_Lie._

_I have no trouble forgetting Dean and everything he did wrong when it comes to Rio._

She hopes her little white lie with ring true to Tim and comfort him. He really is a sweet guy and, if she could just get Rio out of her head, she might have a chance at being happy again.

Tim kisses the back of her hand, briefly, and drops it.

“Call me.”

He says simply, in lieu of goodbye, and slips into the front seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know my chapters are short, but I'm still trying to decide if I actually want to continue developing this story and make it long/with way more chapters. I have a few ideas, but we'll see. I kinda like the idea of focusing more on the High School AU I've been cookin up. Let me know what you think & how you feel about the chapter (:


	7. Skeletons: Everybody's Got Em

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It means I want to let you in.”
> 
> And Tim grins so big and toothy she’s sure he’s gonna be stuck like that. His hand finds her, fingers curling around her wrist and she looks up to meet his serious expression.
> 
> “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”
> 
> Beth nods, to herself mostly, before straightening up and sipping at her coffee. She’d gone over this conversation in her head over the past few days- how much about her business with Rio she would reveal to him and what details she would share- but she’s still a little hesitant to get into it. What if he walks right out the door and tells the police? 
> 
> He’s just watching her, his grey eyes flitting from her grip on her mug to her face and back again.
> 
> Here goes nothing.

Rio slips his lighter out of his back pocket, bringing it to the tip of his joint and allowing the flame to lick the paper. Smoking weed during work is one of his secrets to success. It calms him down, keeps him at ease when tension are high. He always stores a few pre-rolled joints in his Altoids tin for emergencies.

Like this one, for example.

Diesel leans forward in his chair, straining against his ties, and spits blood at Rio’s shoes. The big man’s eyes are wide n’ wild and his hair is a stringy mess. Rio scowls at him, but otherwise doesn’t react as he sucks another puff of smoke into his lungs.

“I’d start talkin’ soon, if I were you.”

Rio says casually, striding back and forth across the dirty ass linoleum floor. He rolls his joint between his pointer and middle fingers while considering Dom’s goon. It’s been an hour since Rio and his boys caught this fool, and he won’t reveal a thing about Dom’s plans or location. It’s really starting to piss him off.

“Cuz’ when I’m done wit’ this, can ya’ guess where it’s goin’?”

His question hangs heavily in the air as he regards Dom’s guy at the end of his joint. He stops directly behind the kitchen chair where Diesel is heaving in pain and crouches slightly to press his thumb to the man’s temple.

“Right here. What’chu think, boys?”

Cisco and Demon nod their heads in agreement, neither saying a word, but Rio can hear Diesel’s breath catch. Slapping his cheek a few times, Rio stands back up and smiles brightly at his men.

“Mr. Cisco, why don’t you ask ‘em again? And let’s spice things up a bit, shall we?”

Clicking open his switchblade, Cisco bends down in front of Diesel for the fifth time tonight.

“Where’s ya’ boss at?”

Thirty seconds pass with no answer, so Rio waves his hand unceremoniously in Cisco’s direction. Panic seeps into Diesel’s expression as Cisco forcefully unfurls his fist, splaying his fingers out on the kitchen table in front of him. Quick as a whip, Cisco slices through his pinky finger, directly above the middle knuckle. Diesel screams in pain and the sound fills the room, prompting Rio to pick up a nearby hand towel and stuff it into his captive’s mouth. With tears streaming down his red face, he watches Rio hover closer and closer to his ear.

“We can do this all night. You got ten of those, ya’ know.”

Diesel howls into the towel, his eyebrows pulled together so tightly that they almost form a unibrow.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you got somethin’ to say?”

Rio removes the cloth, taunting with curiosity plain on his face. Diesel coughs abruptly and steadies his breath before glaring up at Rio.

“You arrogant fuck!”

He moans, teeth grinding in agony. Rio patiently waits for the information he’s certain will begin to spill out of Diesel.

“Dom’s gotta few ideas. He thinks he’s got enough connections to start his own empire. He won’t tell us any details, but word is, he’s found a suitable partner.”

He growls, not breaking eye contact with Rio.

“Partner? Who the hell would he partner with?”

Diesel doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks down at his feet, then across the room at Demon. He laughs, manically, swinging his head dramatically back to Rio.

“Why don’t ya’ ask that pretty little mommy you spend all your time with?”

—

Beth looks at her reflection critically, wondering if she should change for the eighth time in the past twenty minutes. Her phone buzzes with a text from Ruby, lighting up the screen and displaying the current time.

Tim’s going to be here in five minutes.

_Stop stressing, B. That dude is crazyyyy about you_

Beth grins and feels herself loosen up after reading Ruby’s message. She’s right; Tim does seem to like her a lot.

After watching Tim drive away from his boys’ baseball game last week, she instantly felt a wave of guilt. Here he is, a genuine, sweet, handsome guy who actually values her opinions and maintains conversations with her, and she can’t get over her childish fixation on her boss.

God, and Rio is so infuriating.

If he felt anything at all for her, he should have said so by now. But he wouldn’t, she knew that, having confronting the reality a few nights ago over two bottles of wine at her sister’s house. She asked Annie and Ruby for advice and when they told her she had better not let this one get away, she knew she had to tell him about her job. As she puts on her earrings, she thinks back to the phone call she had made shortly after her realization.

_“Hello?”_

_“Hey, Tim.”_

_Beth’s fingers glide over the rim of her coffee cup. He sounds pleasantly surprised, which she supposes is a good sign. She couldn’t blame him if he was upset with her._

_“I’m really happy you called me, Beth.”_

_She smiles._

_“That’s good to hear. Would you like to come over and talk tomorrow? I can make cherry scones.”_

_She recalls him telling her that he isn’t a big fan of pastries, unless those pastries are cherry scones. Tim’s chuckle fills her ears and suddenly, all she can think about is Rio. _

_The way _ ** _his_ ** _ deep laugh wraps around her, simultaneously warm and chill-inducing, as opposed to Tim’s, which doesn’t make her feel anything special. God, she has _ ** _got_ ** _ to stop comparing this man, and every man, to her stupidly handsome employer. Tim deserves better than that._

_“-remembered I like them.”_

_Her cheeks flush in embarrassment when she realizes she had zoned out. _

_It’s like a fucking freight train- the way those thoughts about him hit her out of the blue._

_“Yeah, uh, so tomorrow at noon? Does that work for you?”_

_“I have to pick up the boys from their mom’s at 12:45, but I can stop by. Your place is on the way.”_

_“Great. I’ll see you then.”_

_“I can’t wait.”_

Beth sighs, checking herself one last time in the mirror before heading to the kitchen. She had placed the scones out on a nice dish in the middle of the island, alongside two coffee mugs. Just as she began filling her mug with creamer, the doorbell rings.

Tim is standing on her porch with his hands shoved in his front pockets and a charming smile playing on his lips. She beams back at him and swings the door open.

“Hi! Come on in.”

He steps through the door and heads straight to the kitchen, no doubt smelling the fresh pastries.

“It smells amazing in here.”

He says as he takes a deep breath through his nose. Beth serves him one of the scones on a separate plate then moves to sit down beside him at the island.

“So, you called me.”

Tim says after a few seconds. She turns to face him, feeling sheepish.

“Yeah, I did.”

“What does that mean, exactly.”

Letting out a breath, she smiles at him.

“It means I want to let you in.”

And Tim grins so big and toothy she’s sure he’s gonna be stuck like that. His hand finds her, fingers curling around her wrist and she looks up to meet his serious expression.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”

Beth nods, to herself mostly, before straightening up and sipping at her coffee. She’d gone over this conversation in her head over the past few days- how much about her business with Rio she would reveal to him and what details she would share- but she’s still a little hesitant to get into it. What if he walks right out the door and tells the police?

He’s just watching her, his grey eyes flitting from her grip on her mug to her face and back again.

Here goes nothing.

“Over the past year or so, I’ve been involved in some,”

She pauses and glances at the ceiling,

“Less-than-legal business.”

Other than the curious crease in his eyebrows, Tim is motionless. She takes it as a cue to continue.

“It’s safe, for the most part, and it doesn’t affect my family, but it’s my job. And I have kept it to myself for a while now. Dean doesn’t even know about it.”

Because he doesn’t. He’s already one of the most oblivious people she knows, but he’s been more distracted the past few months than usual because of his new girlfriend. Beth actually likes her, though her dramatic tendencies pulling Dean away from work might be the only valid reason. Beth practically runs the dealership on her own these days.

Tim seems a little surprised at this information, but he stays quiet. She kind of wishes he would say something.

“I figured worrying about keeping you in the dark is one of the reasons I’m finding it so hard to open up to you.”

He hums, sounding like he’s thinking it all over. Is this normal? Maybe she’s overthinking, but if she the tables were turned and she heard this from her significant other, she would be pretty shocked.

“One of the reasons?”

Tim asks, and she reels back just a bit.

“Um, yes. I mean, it’s one of the main reasons.”

“Does Rio have anything to do with it?”

He says it so quickly she’s sure she misheard him. She feels like a rug has been yanked from under her feet.

“I’m sorry?”

She hadn’t ever mentioned Rio’s name, had she? Ruby must have, though that doesn’t seem like something she would do.

Why would he think that?

“I just mean it hasn’t been too long since the two of you ended things. Maybe you’re not over him?”

Beth’s mouths opens in shock and she instantly defends herself without a second thought.

“I’m over him. It’s over, believe me.”

She knows it’s not true, but why make things harder on her new relationship? And why does Tim seem more concerned about her “ex” than the fact that she’s involved in criminal activity?

Tim doesn’t seem bothered by her reaction. In fact, he seems pleased.

“That’s good. His loss.”

He smiles at her and she stares, unable to mask her confusion.

“Did you hear what I said, though? About the crime?”

She doesn’t mean to sound so blunt, but she was expecting more. And while she’s relieved he’s still here, listening, she can’t help but notice how unfazed he’s acting. He observes her for another few seconds before shrugging and taking a huge bite out of the pastry in front of him.

“Everyone’s got skeletons, Beth. Hell, I’ve got my fair share. It doesn’t make me like you any less.”

His eyes skate over her as he says it while hers grow wide at his words. And, well, she guesses that’s the best response she could’ve hoped for. When she thought about how this would play out, she never considered he would be so nonchalant. She finishes her coffee, lost in thought, when her eyes drift to the clock on the microwave.

“It’s almost 12:40.”

He nods and finishes his coffee and pastry quickly, moving to the sink to clean off his dishes.

“I got it. Here, bring these to the boys.”

She takes his cup and plate, setting them in the sink and grabbing a Ziplock bag from the pantry. She places two pastries inside, leaving one on the plate for herself later.

“Thank you.”

He says, smiling, and when she can’t quite meet his eyes, he entwines their fingers.

“Hey, I’m serious. I know we’ve only been seeing each other for a short time, but I feel like I know you pretty well. Whatever it is you’re involved in, you’re doing it for a good reason.”

She releases a breath, allowing herself to look up from her feet, and squeezing his hand in response.

“Thanks for being so understanding.”

It comes out somewhat lackluster, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“Of course. We’ll talk soon?”

She nods and he thanks her again for the treats, taking the plastic bag with him as she walks him through the front door. She closes it behind him, staring at the white paint. What had he meant by his “fair share”?

Her phone rings from atop the kitchen island a few minutes later, pulling her from her daze, and she walks briskly to pick it up.

“Hello?”

“How’d it go? Did he file for a restraining order?”

Annie’s voice never fails to put her at ease, despite how annoying her actual words may be.

“No. Actually, he took it,”

She pauses, throwing a glance through her empty house at the door.

“surprisingly well.”

Her little sister chortles.

“Damn, he must really have the hots for you. Any normal dude would be halfway to Canada by now.”

Beth sighs, an unknown feeling unfurling in her gut and putting her on edge because she’s right.

Any _normal _guy would’ve walked right out of her house and her life.

_And maybe_, she thinks, cursing herself,

_Maybe some part of her had wanted him to._

—

Rio’s arms flex as he pulls his car to the curb. He’s seconds away from turning around and ordering Cisco to deal with this for him, but his curiosity is getting the best of him. He has to know, has to hear it from her.

_“Why don’t ya’ ask that pretty little mommy you spend all your time with?”_

Elizabeth is a lot of things, but he never knew a traitor to be one of them. And she’d acted so shocked and coy that day at the ball park, with her big eyes and tight purple shirt hugging her chest. He clenches his teeth as he’s reminded of how she’d leaned into his touch when he played with loose strands of her hair.

Maybe she’s a better liar than he thought.

Furious, he throws open his car door. Cisco and Demon had stayed behind with Diesel, likely disposing of him by now. Good fucking riddance. Of course, after dropping that bomb about Elizabeth, he had refused to give them any more information, even though Cisco had been quick to cut off another one of his fat, greasy fingers.

Rio hadn’t realized he’s already started towards her front door until he sees it. An unfamiliar car parked in her driveway. Then, he’s struck with the memory of Annie’s drunken babbling from a few weeks prior at their drop.

_“Your other man is way nicer, anyway.”_

Is this her new boyfriend?

Had he spent the night?

He cranes his neck, trying to sneak a good look at _Tim_\- what a stupid fucking name- but the windows are tinted. The car backs up and pulls onto the street, speeding away with Rio’s angry eyes following until it disappears. First, she’d gone behind his back with Dom, and now this?

Fucking unbelievable.

He knocks, hard and sharp, on the wood of the door. He considers himself relatively patient with Elizabeth, but now his tolerance is no where to be found. He glares at the door as if it’ll force her to move quicker.

Then, it opens.

There she is in all of her curvy glory, wrapped in a blue dress that makes her snowy skin glow. It makes him more furious.

“We need to talk, yeah?”

He spits it at her, wanting her to feel the heat of his anger, and she stares back at him, bewildered.

“What’s going on? Why’re you here?”

“What’d I just say?”

Rio pushes past her and makes a beeline to her kitchen. He perches himself on the island, letting his feet dangle as he slips his gun out from his back pocket and rests it on his thigh. There’s a plate next to him with a single pastry on it. He picks it up and bites it, purely out of spite, tossing it unceremoniously back on the counter top.

She steps toward him warily.

“Okay,”

She says, mouth curling slowly around the syllables,

“what do we need to talk about?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, this took forever to finish, but I am pretty satisfied with the final product. Let me know what y'all think. There will be smut in the next one, I promise (;


	8. A Picture Says 1000 Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, he spend the night or what?”
> 
> He tries hard to sound indifferent. Asking the question in the first place, though, is telling enough and he feels exposed. Especially when she turns to fix him with an irritated expression he’s too familiar with, resting her hands on her hips and leaning back against the counter. 
> 
> “Why do you care?”
> 
> “Never said I do.”

“What do we need to talk about?”

Rio pretends to consider her question, tapping the tip of his gun to his lips while he chews, as if he’s thinking’ real hard.

“Hm, why don’t we start with you partnering with the moron who stole from me?”

Her reaction is nothing short of priceless. Those doe eyes go huge and her lips part. His gaze is fierce, unforgiving, while he waits for her to respond. It takes her a minute, but finally,

“I seriously have no idea what you’re on about.”

He sees red.

“That’s funny, ‘cuz one of his minions seems to think you’re real involved.”

“Rio,”

She says gently, her arms extending in front of her as if to placate him, like she’s genuinely concerned about what’s got him so fired up. He adjusts his grip on his gun. It’s so hard to be mad at her when she fuckin’ looks like _that_, but the pounding in his ears doesn’t fade.

“please just tell me what’s happening.”

She speaks carefully, but her tone has a frantic edge to it and he sucks his front teeth, considering. Then, with one more glance at the way her copper eyebrows are pulled together in uncertainty, he sighs.

There’s no way she’s a good enough liar to be faking the look on her face right now.

Elizabeth is slowly walking closer to him and he clicks the safety on his gun, pushing it back into his pants and rolling his neck until it gives a satisfying _crack_.

“You really got no idea?”

He scans her up and down critically. She shakes her head. He slides off of the island and into one of the barstools, motioning for her to sit. She does, watching him expectantly.

“The fucker we grabbed this morning said you partnered up with Dom.”

Her expression morphs from blank to exasperated in two seconds flat.

“_Why_ would I do that?”

She throws her hands out to her sides, looking at him like she can’t believe he would even suggest it. Rio scrubs at his beard and closes his eyes tightly. He might have been in the wrong- barging into her house and accusing her of shit- but he’s not about to admit it. It wouldn’t be the first time someone has back-stabbed him recently.

“I’ve never even met him before.”

Elizabeth adds, a lil’ softer, and he’s sighing again. When he’d arrived at her house, there was a tiny voice in his head that was hoping she had partnered with Dom, if only to justify his reasons for leaving her all those nights ago. Now she’s gazin’ at him like he has all the answers to all of her questions and all he wants to do it apologize or some stupid shit like that. Or, better yet, go back to that night and let himself fall asleep with her head on his chest and her nails raking over his hair instead of endin’ up alone in his bed. God, she’s makes him so weak it’s laughable.

“I jus’ assumed he got you to flip. Worked on Eddie, after all.”

Rio says, dejectedly but with his jaw clenched tight. He and his boys found out a few days ago that Dom had threatened the life of Eddie’s sister, having sent him a picture of her in her driveway along with specific instructions about getting rid of Rio in exchange for his sister’s safety. She was his only family, so Rio can understand the snap decision he’d made. If only he had talked to Rio about it first, maybe he would still be here and the Dom problem would already be solved.

But, Rio is no stranger to acting irrationally due to his emotions. The living proof is sitting next to him, holding an empty coffee cup in her hands.

“Dom’s the one who flipped him?”

It’s more of a statement- she’s smart enough to have put it together- but he nods anyway. As she chews on her bottom lip, processing everything, Rio’s eyes land on a dark grey coat that’s draped over the back of her couch. He hadn’t noticed it when he barged in cuz’ he was too busy being pissed, but now it’s presence is as obvious to him as the fact that is clearly belongs to a man.

“Ya boy forget somethin’?”

Elizabeth seems startled by the random question, but then she follows his line of vision and her cheeks go pink. She quickly walks over to the couch and grabs the coat, hanging it on one of the hooks by the door and refusing to meet Rio’s unwavering stare.

“So, he spend the night or what?”

He tries hard to sound indifferent. Asking the question in the first place, though, is telling enough and he feels exposed. Especially when she turns to fix him with an irritated expression he’s too familiar with, resting her hands on her hips and leaning back against the counter.

“Why do you care?”

“Never said I do.”

His answer is too quick and too sharp and she doesn’t appear to be convinced. Shit, he isn’t even convincing himself at this point. She quirks an eyebrow.

“Why’d you ask, then?”

Rio shrugs, picking up the remaining piece of the pastry and watching it crumble in his fingers. The smug smile he’s always wearing makes its way back to his lips.

“Cuz’ I wanna know. I can’t be curious?”

Elizabeth faces away from him again and rinses her cup in the sink. She doesn’t speak for what seems like several long minutes and Rio feels his guard starting to drop, wondering if this is her way of inviting him to leave. Then, she turns the tap off and lets out a shaky lil’ breath with her back still to him.

“No, you can’t.”

He huffs, almost laughing, because he can do-he can _be_\- whatever he wants. He’s in charge; he’s the boss. He’s about to tell her that when she spins on her heel and the unshed tears in her eyes makes his throat close up. She looks so frustrated and so sad that he has to clutch at his thighs to fight the urge to reach for her. Although her eyes are glassy, she stares angrily at him.

“You aren’t allowed to be curious. Not anymore. Not when I’m finally getting over it.”

She glances away, turning around again too fast, as if she said something she shouldn’t have. Rio’s heart is thrumming faster and he swallows.

“Getting over what, mama?”

His voice is low, serious, and his question settles thickly in the tension-filled space between them. He’s drifting closer to her, having slid off of the barstool, and he knows she’s aware of it cuz’ her shoulders tense up.

“You should go.”

Elizabeth’s tone is strained and unsure, but he stops advancing, standing about a foot away from her. The bubble they’re in right now is so fragile and he’s worried that if he makes one wrong move, it’ll pop. He has to know if that night still haunts her like it does him. He’s gotta know he’s not crazy and alone in his incessant need.

“You want me to?”

The itch to touch her is growing stronger by the second and he takes one more step toward her, still allowing her room to reject him. She just closes her eyes though and shakes her head almost imperceptibly. He’s so close he can smell her sugary sweet skin and he wants to lose himself in it.

“Of course I don’t. That’s why you should. I can’t do this again.”

Her near-whisper breaks in the middle and the sound tugs his heart into his gut. He doesn’t know how to respond. He can’t blame her for resisting; not after he left without explanation and treated her like she’s cheap and expendable when she is anything but. She’s precious and he’s an idiot. The guilt is clawing at him and he can’t contain it any longer.

“I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”

He says it so quietly, at first he’s afraid she didn’t hear it and the idea of repeating it is humiliating. But she cranes her neck to glare at him, searching his eyes for sincerity, and she must find it because she visibly deflates. A single tear track stains her cheek and, before he can think better of it, his thumb is brushing it away. He’s reluctant to stop touching her and lets the pad of his finger slide gently down her jaw. When his hand starts to fall away, she grabs it and presses his palm into her face so that his thumb rests against her cheekbone. He watches, mesmerized, as she squeezes her eyes shut and just holds him there.

“What are you sorry for?”

She asks without moving or opening her eyes. Her lips twitch into a frown and he brings his other hand up, cradling her face and taking in every one of her dainty, beautiful facial features. His chest is bursting with affection for her and it’s so foreign but he likes it and he’s suddenly so tired of denying himself.

“All of it. Leavin’ that night, pretendin’ it didn’t mean nothin’. It meant everything.”

Fuck, he feels like such a sap.

But then she’s surging up on her heels and kissin’ him and he groans in surprise, quickly sliding his hands past her jaw through her hair, holding her face to him. She grips his shirt in both hands, balling the fabric up at his waist, and her knuckles brush against his skin. He licks into her mouth, delirious with want, and she bites at his lips feverishly while their combined breaths grow more and more labored.

He wants to fuckin’ consume her and he tells her with his body, bearing down on her with his lips as passionately as he possibly can before hoisting her up on to the smooth surface of the countertop. She whimpers when his erection brushes against her and the noise fuels the fire inside him. He grasps at her hips, moaning into her mouth when she presses her chest against his, her breasts practically spilling out of her dress now, and he bunches the soft blue material up around her thighs, palming all of the newly exposed skin frantically. Her fingers deftly undo the top three buttons of his shirt and she’s breathing heavy as his lips assault her neck.

“Couch.”

Elizabeth murmurs and he immediately lifts her off of the counter with his hands on her ass while she wraps her legs around him. He’s dizzy by the time they reach the living room couch, utterly and completely overwhelmed by the weight of her against him and her scent and her full, delicious lips and her noises and just _her_. He must’ve been fuckin’ nuts to think he could just move on. Nothin’ and no one can replace the desire she incites in him.

She’s under him now, tugging his open shirt off and running her delicate hands all over his torso and he basks in it for a moment, going weak at the knees because of how gently and purposefully she’s touchin’ him. His lips haven’t left her skin and he’s leaving kisses on her collarbone, unable to resist sucking a bit harder than necessary in a few places. Elizabeth doesn’t seem to mind, though, moaning softly as her right hand goes to cup him through his jeans. He grunts, panting against the tops of her breasts, and she lifts herself up slightly to whisper into his ear while palming him slowly.

“Can I get on top?”

Her voice is dipped in honey and sends chills down his spine. She’s so fuckin’ sexy, it’s almost painful. He licks her chest once and kisses over the same spot before answering,

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

He lifts himself up so that he’s hovering over her until she slides out from under him and pushes his back against the couch. She shimmies out of her dress and gestures at his pants, probably wanting him to remove them, but he’s mesmerized by her. She’s got on the prettiest pair of panties he’s ever seen, -pink and red with little lace flowers lining the hem- her bra barely covers her nipples, and her hair is framing her face all fluffy and gorgeous. He must be staring because she clears her throat and he looks up to find her with a teasing grin.

“Aren’t you going to-“

She waves her hand at his jeans and he rolls his eyes, reaching for her and pulling her close.

“Think I need some help.”

He says lowly, lips brushing against hers and growing into a smile when she pops the button on his jeans and yanks the zipper down, peeling them off of his legs and climbing into his lap in seconds. His hands greedily roam all over her, landing on her ass again and kneading it desperately.

“Fuck, baby.”

He groans, overcome with lust, and she gasps when he slaps her backside firmly. She grinds on him, rubbing them together, and he drags her bottom lip between his teeth.

“I missed you.”

She sighs it and it’s almost inaudible, but dammit if his heart doesn’t jump. A new, brighter fire burns through him and he snakes his right hand between her thighs, touching at the growing wet spot on her panties. He wants to make her feel good more than anything. He wants to hear her breathy moans and his name on her lips and he wants to see her come apart. He slips his pointer finger past her underwear and she hums in pleasure, her nails pricking his back.

“Mmm, you so wet. You wan’ me to touch you?”

He knows what his words do to her, and he knows she likes to talk back. She likes when he insists that she answer him. So, when she doesn’t respond aside from a few lil’ whimpers, his middle finger curls into her, stretching her.

“Yes, please, please.”

She cries, moving herself on his fingers and dropping her head into his neck.

“Where you wan’ me, mama?”

Elizabeth rears back and peeks down at him, skin flushed and breasts heaving, and palms him over his underwear, the sensation causing his toes to curl into the carpet. He moans, pushing his fingers further into her in response, and she leans forward, giving him a light squeeze as she says,

“I want _you_.”

He pulls her to his lips again, needing to suck the words into his mouth, savor them. She licks over his tongue and dips her fingers into the waistband of his underwear, causing him to slide her panties aside, and they both gasp when the head of his cock barely breaches her. Rio concentrates on her, eagerly soaking up her expression when he fills her up and she’s sitting all the way on him. She’s so snug around him, tight and warm, and he looses his breath.

“Oh.”

She lets out, face wrinkling and lips parting. He grabs her hips firmly and lays back into the cushions, unable to look away from where they are connected.

“Yeah. Been thinkin’ ‘bout this.”

His tone is gruff and it sounds so far away in his ears and then she’s nodding desperately as she starts to bounce on his cock. He tries to hold back from thrusting up into her, but it’s hard when her tits are jumping so close to his face and ass is hitting his upper thighs while she’s clenching and he’s biting his lip so he doesn’t whine like a fuckin’ incel. She must notice how concentrated he is ‘cuz then she’s leaning back on his legs and fucking herself down on him harder and the moan he lets out should be downright embarrassing but he can’t give a _fuck_ when he can feel the pleasure washing over him.

“God-oh, shit.”

He stutters, gasping when she clenches with him deep inside and she slumps forward to take his ear in her teeth.

“Fuck me.”

Her pretty voice is sultry in a way he’s never heard and his balls tighten at her words. He knows he’s getting close and all of a sudden he’s filled with the desire to make this last as long as possible, so he holds her waist and meets her thrusts slower, more controlled, as he stares up at her. Elizabeth stares right back- lips red and blue eyes brimming with lust- and he knows she has him wrapped around her finger. He’d do anything to see _this_ every day. Wake up to it.

“Come on me, baby.”

Rio circles her clit roughly, praying she’s close too. She kisses him again and sucks his tongue into her mouth as she finishes with a moan muffled by his lips. He follows right behind her, breaking their kiss when his hips jerk up into her once more and he spills inside of her. Her pussy is fluttering around him, milking his orgasm for a few more blissful seconds, and he chases her lips again. She hums against his mouth and he smiles.

He doesn’t want their moment to end just yet.

“Rio?”

Elizabeth sounds so satisfied and gentle, he has to kiss at the closest available skin. She lifts up so that he slips out of her- a squeak leaving her lips at the action- but she doesn’t move from his lap. Her neck is soft under his teeth as he bites playfully. She giggles, nosing against his cheek.

“Hmm?”

“We-“

A shrill ringing cuts her off and he frowns when she pulls back and twists away to glance at her phone on the coffee table. It vibrates violently and he peeks over her shoulder as she grabs it.

Then he sees it.

The contact is visible for less than a second, but he sees it.

Dom’s ugly fucking mug lighting up Elizabeth’s phone screen.

—-

Beth declines Tim’s call, already thinking about how she’s going to end things between them, when Rio shoves her roughly off of his lap. She lets out a surprised “oof” and stares at him in confusion when he starts to quickly pull on his clothes.

“What’s wrong?”

She scrambles off the couch and reaches for him, but he rips his arm out of her grip and shoves his gun into the back of his pants without meeting her eyes. Beth feels her heartbeat pick up and she anxiously slips her dress back on.

_Why_ _is_ _he_ _so_ _upset_ _that_ _Tim_ _called_? _He_ _knew_ _I_ _was_ _seeing_ _someone._

She’s practically tripping over herself to catch up to him at her front door, suddenly angry that _he’s_ angry because what the fuck? He can’t just leave after _that_.

“Rio!”

She yanks his bicep harder than she meant too, but he spins on his heel and glares down at her. Under his eerily neutral gaze, she lowers her voice.

“Where are you going?”

He looks her over once, but the usual flirtation and affection in his face is replaced by a cool indifference that makes her gut twist unpleasantly. Once his eyes return to hers, his lips part for a moment and she’s waiting- begging- for him to say something, but instead he just shakes his head, twists away from her touch again, opens the door, and slams it behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal life got really crazy for a few weeks, which is why this chapter took so long! As always, thanks for reading & comments/kudos are so greatly appreciated <3 
> 
> Also, I wanna make more friends on tumblr, so look for me @tiedyebrio (:

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This is my first Brio fanfiction, so let me know your thoughts! I'm obsessed with Brio lately, so there will possibly be more to come- but I would love to get prompt requests!


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